New Twist To An Old Trick That Burns Massive Amounts Of Fat

Since at this time of the year a vast majority of you are
looking for fat loss programs, I wanted to concentrate this
week on publishing some great articles from my friend Nick
Nilsson, who as usual, has a crazy program that will put those
fat cells to their knees!

If you don’t have a fat loss program to follow, definitely
this is a good one to try out!

Fat-Loss Circuit Training is very simple once you get the hang
of it, but it can be one of the most demanding (and most
extraordinarily effective) styles of training you can do.

If you’re familiar with normal circuit training (with timed,
light-weight intervals), please put aside any notions you
might have of how this program works. You will not only be
harnessing the muscle-building and metabolism-stimulating
power of intense, full-set weight training (NOT the typical
light-weight, timed intervals of normal circuit training),
you will also be incorporating the great calorie-burning
effects of cardiovascular training.

The proper combination of the two styles (weights and cardio)
into one workout is, quite simply, phenomenal for fat burning.

In order to use Fat-Loss Circuit Training, you will need access
to both weight equipment and cardio equipment (and/or benches
or stairs), preferably located in fairly close proximity to
each other.

This type of training is harder to do in a crowded gym as it
will involve you moving back and forth quickly between
different pieces of equipment. If someone is waiting to use
your cardio machine the moment you step off, it will defeat
the purpose of the workout. This technique is best used in a
fairly uncrowded gym where you have more freedom to use
equipment or, better yet, in a home gym with weights and
cardio equipment and no one waiting for anything!

If you do work out in a crowded gym, I will tell you exactly
how to get around it.

How The Training Works:

– Essentially, this is combined circuit/interval training.

– You will be going back and forth between your weight
training exercises and one cardio exercise for the
duration of the workout.

– Your rest period for weights will be your cardio and your
rest period for cardio will be your weights.

– You will be doing some sort of activity for your entire
workout without any break!

This combination is very effective for a number of reasons:

– It forces your body to burn calories continuously during
the workout.

– It utilizes resistance training and cardio training so you
get all the benefits of both in one workout.

– By forcing your body to work like this, you dramatically
increase your metabolism leading to increased fat burning
long after the workout (more so than either weights or
cardio alone).

– It saves time – you get both your weights and cardio in
the same amount of time as your regular workout.

– You will still be able to use heavy weights in your weight
training, helping to preserve muscle mass.

How To Do It:

Step 1 – Set Up

For the most efficient workout possible, try to have most or
all of your exercises pre-set and ready to go. The less time
you spend on preparation during your workout itself, the more
effective that workout will be, especially since you want to
be continually active throughout the workout. You can use any
type of cardio that is convenient and enjoyable to you, be it
a machine, stair stepping, or even a skipping rope.

If you are working out in a crowded gym, try to claim an
area for yourself and focus on dumbbell exercises. You won’t
have to wait in line to use any weight machines that way.

If you don’t have access to convenient cardio machines,
you’re going to have to go low-tech. You’ll need to do stair-
stepping (stepping up two stairs then back down works well),
bench-stepping (step up onto a flat bench or Step platform
then back down) or rope-jumping (be sure you’re not close
to anyone if you choose this). These approaches work just as
well as cardio machines and allow you to perform this
training style in a busier setting.

If the stair-stepping method is what you need to use, have a
look at the stepping pattern demonstrated on the following
page:

Do a few minutes of low-intensity cardio as a warm-up. You
may wish to do a few light sets of a few of the exercises
you’ll be working with before you start into it though. Don’t
tire yourself out, just get a light sweat going.

Step 3 – Start with 30 – 40 seconds of moderate intensity cardio.

This could be setting a stair machine to a level that is
not easy but is not so challenging that you’re going to
exhaust yourself right away. Watch the timer on your machine
and go for approximately 40 seconds (I say approximately
because there will generally be a slight lag time when you
step on and off).

Many cardio machines have a “rest period” feature where you
can leave the machine on and it will not erase your program
while you have stepped off. Normally, this is about 2 minutes.
This should be enough time to complete your weight set.

If you are using a machine such as a treadmill or stair
machine that you will leave on with the timer running, just
watch the time counter on the machine and keep track of when
you get on it to get the designated period. It may require a
little mental math! You can also use your own stopwatch or
timer on your watch to keep track (this is easier). Start the
timer when you start the cardio.

Many machines also have a feature that runs through a series
of time periods. I’ve found on the StairMaster, if you set
the length of the session to 20 minutes, this results in a
40 second time period making it perfect for judging your
cardio periods.

Step 4 – Do a set of weights.

Go as quickly as you can to your first exercise. Do a set of
the first exercise on your program for the day. Do this with
no rest, going from the cardio immediately to the weights.
Do all your reps until you start to approach muscular failure.

While this is definitely still intense weight training, don’t
push yourself to muscular failure as you would in your regular
training. Due to the high training volume we’ll be doing in
this program, pushing to failure on every set will compromise
muscle recovery.

Also, be very sure to use proper form and tempo when lifting
the weights. Don’t rush your weight sets – perform them with
the same form and speed as you would if you were doing a regular
set in your training. Fast, light or sloppy weight sets are
NOT what we’re looking for here.

Step 5 – Go right back to the cardio.

Get back to the cardio and do another 40 seconds of
moderate-intensity cardio.

Step 6 – Repeat the cycle for the duration of the workout.

You will be going back and forth continuously between cardio
and your weight training exercises, using the cardio as the
rest period between your weight sets. What this means is
that over the course of your workout, you’ll be burning
calories via cardio and weights AND you’ll be working your
muscles with intense, heavy weight training as well. It’s
tough training but very effective!

Notes:

– As you improve your cardio ability, you can choose to
increase the intensity of your cardio training between sets.
You may wish to start at a lower level and gradually
increase the resistance over the course of the workout or
start at a higher level and keep it there. It is perfectly
acceptable to keep it at a steady, moderate level, however.

– This Fat-Loss Circuit technique can be used with nearly any form of cardio exercise as long as it is convenient to
go back and forth with the weights. The real key here is
to maintain activity for the entire workout.

– Keep your workouts to no more than 45 minutes at the very most when doing this type of training. Any more than that
and you will be breaking yourself down too much. It’s an
extremely demanding form of training as you’ll be working
every major energy system in your body. You will also find
it will crank your metabolism up pretty seriously!

For a sample workout to follow, taken directly from my
“Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss” ebook, please click on the
following link:

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training
company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education
and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques
for more than 20 years. Nick is the author of a number of
bodybuilding eBooks including “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss,”
“The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” “Gluteus to the
Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!” and “Specialization Training,”
all available at my site here: Nick Nilsson’s Site.

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I hope that this article has provided you with a great idea
on how to set up a cool and quick fat burning workout
whether you train at home or at the gym.